blossoms
by Synesthesiae
Summary: au. when a traveller comes stumbling upon a beautiful cherry blossom tree and a mysterious stranger, nothing is ever what it seems.
1. i

disclaimer: Code Geass is not my property.

* * *

It was a beautiful cherry blossom tree.

Almost every time when a traveller walked by, he had to stop to admire such ageless beauty. So beautiful that the tree itself was well known throughout the country of Japan. So beautiful with a mesmerizing scent that no one dared lay a finger on it.

The cherry blossom tree was like a divine shrine. People admired yet feared it for never before was there such a magnificent tree.

And it belonged to the Lamperouge family.

In this generation, a young, handsome man named Lelouch was its owner.

One day, a young man named Suzaku travelled by and like many others, was stopped by the brilliant sight of the tree. He stood in awe. A small gust of wind blew by sending clouds of pink petals scattering about.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" said a voice nearby.

Suzaku almost jumped out of his skin. He turned toward the source of the voice and was face to face with the owner.

"It is. Almost surreal," Suzaku answered.

"I agree."

The raven-haired man stepped forward and stood next to Suzaku. The latter looked down at the former's extended hand.

"My name is Lelouch," he said.

"I'm Suzaku," he said shaking the other's hand. His short brown hair blew softly in the wind. "Nice to meet you."

Lelouch nodded. "Likewise."

Then both men turned their attention toward the tree. Its branches were swaying gently in the persistent wind. The pale pink petals were swirling around the two young men as if they wanted to embrace them.

"Where are you from?" Lelouch asked. "I have never seen you before."

"Ah, I'm from Kanazawa. I'm visiting my girlfriend, actually. She lives in Kyoto."

Suzaku didn't know if he's imagining it or not but he thought he saw a flicker of sadness and envy in the stranger's dark purple eyes. It lasted for a mere second.

"Must be nice," Lelouch remarked before turning toward the tree.

Suzaku studied him for a bit.

"I should go-"

"Would you like to stay?"

"Eh?"

Lelouch shook his head and gestured toward the setting sun. "It's getting dark," he explained, "and if you're not familiar with the winding roads around here, I'm afraid I can't let you go on your own any further. There are swamps everywhere in this part of the country and if you missed your step in the night, you'll never come out alive and no one can hear your cries."

"Are you joking?" Suzaku asked, chuckling half-heartedly. "I think I can deal with a couple of swamps."

But the look in Lelouch's eyes told him otherwise.

"You look tired," Lelouch said. "Come in and rest. You'll never know what a good night's rest can do and if you like, I can show you the news clips about those travelers who didn't heed the native's advice."

Suzaku _was_ tired. The travel was long. He only had a sandwich for breakfast and lunch. His stomach was growling. His back was hurting from carrying the luggage. He _did_ need a good night's rest. What's more? The beautiful tree was there, right next to this hospitable stranger's house so he could look at it anytime he wanted.

Without further ado, Suzaku accepted Lelouch's offer and allowed the latter to lead him to the house.

The tree's branches were still swaying as if it were dancing to the approaching moonlight.


	2. ii

Suzaku went to the washroom to wash his face like Lelouch had instructed.

The house was quite ancient, Suzaku observed as he was drying his face with a soft towel. It was made out of wood entirely. House nowadays to his knowledge was made of bricks but this house, the Lamperouge house, had no brick or stone anywhere to be seen. Wood was its major foundation and Suzaku fancied what might happen if a lamp tipped over. He put the towel in the basket and stepped out of the bathroom to go back to his designated room.

On his way back, he stopped short in front of a sliding panel to another room.

Inside, a candlelight was lit, illuminating the objects and a person within.

A female with long straight hair was sitting inside. Her profile was facing him. He couldn't make out her features because the room was dark and the candle was its only light source. So basically only her shadow was what's visible to his eyes.

She seemed to be dressed in a kimono. And she hadn't moved an inch. Her posture was rigid as if she were a mere statue.

Suzaku was so tempted to slide open the door. It was very rude, he knew but he couldn't resist the temptation. And he almost did it had the owner of the house not come in time.

"I see you found your way around successfully," said Lelouch. There was a bit of annoyance in his tone and Suzaku cleared his throat.

"Sorry. Guess I got lost," he answered with a slight blush to his cheeks.

Lelouch looked at the sliding screen. "You can meet her later," he said as if reading the guest's mind. "But for now, dinner's ready."

As they were leaving, Suzaku stole another glance behind him at the mysterious lady. She still hadn't moved.

* * *

"Have you ever thought about making tree sighting your business?"

Lelouch's hand holding a pair of chopsticks halted in midair. A piece of rice was dangling from their ends as he stared at the brown-haired man sitting across from him at a small dining table.

"I mean," Suzaku said, shrugging. "Just imagine all the money flowing in if you put a screen over the tree and only those who pay can view it. That's gotta be a lot of money."

Lelouch shook his head. "There's no screen big enough to cover it," he said.

"I'm sure if you put your mind to it, you can build that screen yourself."

The raven-haired man took a moment to contemplate before saying, "The cherry blossom tree is our family's pride. From all over the world, we have had people come to take a look at it, to admire it. The tree contributes to nature's beauty. Without it, imagine how dull the country life would be. Everything about is bleak. Nothing beautiful, nothing colorful enough for the eyes. I am doing everyone a favor by allowing the flowers to blossom, and I am not planning to take that gift away anytime soon."

A brief pause.

Then Suzaku nodded. "I understand. After all, this part of the country wouldn't be as popular as it is now without the tree's presence."

The corners of Lelouch's lips twisted into a tiny smile. "That's right," he agreed.

They continued the rest of the dinner in silence.

When the food was cleared away and Suzaku helped Lelouch clean the dishes, the former started walking back toward his room when he stopped in front of the same white sliding screen.

The candle was still burning and the woman was still sitting inside. Her posture hand't even changed.

Now Suzaku was positive she must have been a statue.

"I told you that you could meet her," a familiar voice echoed from behind and Suzaku spun around.

"So let's meet her," said Lelouch as he slid the panel open allowing Suzaku to have the first real look at the woman inside.

She was otherworldly beautiful.

Even though she was facing the wall and only her profile met his gaze, Suzaku could see her defined features and cheekbones. Her nose was high. Her skin was pale and smooth like a baby's against the flickering candlelight. Her long, lustrous lime-green hair cascaded down to the small of her back. Her bangs fell down to her delicate green eyebrows. She was sitting straight up with hands clasped over each other in her laps. Her fingers were long and slender, and her lips were rosy pink.

She was indeed a very beautiful woman.

Suzaku wasn't even aware that he was blushing.

"This is C.C.," Lelouch introduced. He approached the sitting woman from behind, gently touched her shoulders and as if on cue, she slowly turned her pretty face toward Suzaku.

His breath hitched in his throat.

Her big, deer-like golden eyes under heavy dark lashes gazed at him. She didn't say anything but even her silence had its own beauty because for a second Suzaku forgot how to breathe.

"I apologize for her quietness," Lelouch was saying, snapping Suzaku out of his reverie. "She's very fragile and she isn't too fond of strangers. That's why I barely introduce her to anyone who's ever come into our house."

"O-Oh, I understand! No problem at all," Suzaku said hastily. "Nice to meet you, C.C. My name is Suzaku," he said with a bright smile.

The woman simply stared at him. Then she reached a hand up and placed it over Lelouch's who had knelt behind her.

"I am tired," she said softly. "I want to rest now."

"Of course," he said. Glancing at Suzaku, he asked, "Would you mind waiting in the living room? I am going to put her to bed then I will join you shortly."

"Not at all. Good night, C.C." Suzaku quickly excused himself.

From the hallway, he could see Lelouch pulling a futon from a closet. Suddenly, he felt adventurous and wanted to explore. It was rude for such behavior in a stranger's house but he couldn't help it. C.C.'s mysterious demeanor and beauty got his blood pumped and he didn't think he could go to sleep had he not done at least one thing worth telling later on.

So, he set out on an adventure.

Walking around the house, Suzaku realized it wasn't so big. At most it had four bedrooms. He wondered how many generations of the Lamperouges had lived here and which generation was Lelouch. His feet carried him past the kitchen, the living room, his own room, to a small study at the end of the East hall.

Glancing behind, he saw no sight of Lelouch and assumed that he was still with C.C., though who she was, what her relationship to him was were still a puzzle, Suzaku settled on the fact that maybe that was too privy even for him.

He crept toward the study and opened the door slightly. Inside was a dark pitch and it took him a few minutes for his eyes to adjust. Then realizing how silly he was, he walked back toward the living room to fetch a candle.

Still, no sight of the house's owner anywhere.

When Suzaku was back in the study, he laid the candle on a table on which piles of papers were stacked neatly. He curiously leafed through some and as his eyes befell the words "spirit of the cherry blossoms," his breath was hitched in his throat again.

 _-15th_

 _The tree was dead. There was no life whatsoever in that huge, ancient tree out there. No matter how many times we watered or fertilized it, no flowers would bloom. Death was what defined the tree._

 _Then one day, out of the blue, a young girl came to our house in rags. She was dirtied but her eyes were bright and her hair had a strange green color. She looked about seven years old. She said that her parents had abandoned her and that she had no where to go._

 _We took her in and treated her as our own daughter._

 _Years passed._

 _Our eldest son would soon inherit the house and our farming business. The moment had come when he should look for a wife but in the countryside, there was no girl to his liking. We were hopeless. Then, an idea came to my husband._

 _Our adopted daughter was the most beautiful woman in this part of the country. She had been sought after by so many men yet she had turned them all down. She had no blood relation to us. Therefore, it was not a taboo for her to marry our son._

 _It was strange for them because they had always treated each other like siblings and now they were about to become wife and husband. However, my daughter had no complaint. Neither did my son._

 _The wedding happened._

 _That very night, the cherry tree outside our house bloomed for the very first time._

 _It never withered. Not even once._

 _She remained beautiful and ageless as years passed._

 _-16th_

 _She was so beautiful that it was hard to resist the temptation. I know of her origin. My grandparents had told us but still... Even now if I could go back in time, I would have done the same. I would have... She was the love of my life. And now as I am about to leave this world, I have no regrets. She granted my every wish._

Suzaku blinked.

Surely it couldn't have been about the same woman?

The numbers puzzled him. He didn't know what they meant but he kept on reading.

 _-17th_

 _My father said that I need to take care of her. I do and have been. I am in love with her. She's the reason why we exist. We exist for her._

 _The cherry blossoms outside have never been more beautiful._

 _Goodbye._

 _-18th_

 _The things we have done. They're all for her._

 _I have no regret._

 _Even if it means paying a great price for it._

 _Even if it means going to Hell._

 _Because I love her._

 _We all have._

 _-19th_

 _Sometimes I wonder why she came into our lives. Are we cursed? Or are we blessed?_

Suzaku stood still with the parchment of paper in his hands. He couldn't quite fathom what he had just read.

Were these all about the same woman? If so, who was she?

Was she immortal? Because it seemed like so many generations had transcended yet it felt like the whole Lamperouge household - must be about the Lamperouges, right? - centered around this mysterious woman who never seemed to age. Who remained forever young and beautiful.

Like the cherry blossom tree right outside.

 _"Spirit of the cherry blossoms."_

The parchment fell from his hands.

Impossible.

His eyes widened. Suddenly, the creak of the door drew his attention and he spun around dazedly.

Lelouch was standing there in the doorway. The darkness from the unlit hall concealed half of his face. He merely stood there as if waiting for Suzaku's reaction.

"What's the meaning of this?" Suzaku asked in a slightly trembling voice. He pointed toward the piles of papers that were now scattering on the table. "Is C.C. who I think she is? Is she immortal?"

"You know." Lelouch's voice was so low that it sent chills down the brown-haired man's spine. "It's very rude to explore someone's house without permission."

"I can explain but before that, I want to know the meaning behind all these diaries. Well, I'm assuming they're diaries but what do the numbers stand for? And is this really about C.C.?" Suzaku asked sternly. His emerald-green eyes blazed with curiosity.

Lelouch studied him for a minute before answering, "For a misbehaving guest, you sure have a lot of questions."

"Just answer me, please."

"Why should I?"

"I just want to know. So what if you have an immortal woman in your house? It doesn't make a difference to me. Your secret is safe with me, I swear."

Lelouch laughed. A loud and eerie laugh that echoed throughout the wooden house. Suzaku stared at the man with slightly narrowed eyes.

"What's so funny?"

"You don't find it strange that I have an immortal woman in my house?" Lelouch asked, smirking amusedly.

Suzaku shook his head. "No."

"Hm. It's not that simple."

"But I'm right, aren't I?" Suzaku asked excitedly. "The woman in these papers is C.C. She's the spirit of the cherry blossom tree."

Lelouch bobbed his head. "You are bright, I have to give you that. You made the connection quite quickly."

"So are you also in love with her?"

The raven-haired man merely looked at Suzaku as if the latter had sprouted another head.

"If I weren't in love with her," Lelouch said in a dangerously low voice, "I would never be able to do the things I have done."

"What do you- Whoa!"

The world was spinning. The ground was shaking. The room wasn't standing still anymore. Suzaku fell heavily on the table, knocking all the papers away, and used his elbows in order to support himself but suddenly his vision dimmed. His brain shut down and all he could see and understand was Lelouch slowly approaching him.

Then it was all darkness.


	3. iii

**A/N:** My sincerest apology for this story's extremely long hiatus. I had drafted it before but never quite got a chance to revise it until now when life kind of slows down a bit. I don't want to leave my stories unfinished. That's why I prefer writing one-shots but since I already started this, I must finish it, and this is the last chapter. I hope you guys are still enjoying it despite the passing time. Thank you so much for reading and reviews will be greatly appreciated!

* * *

"To answer... question... mean centuries."

When Suzaku came to, those were the words he heard.

Blinking slowly as if the mere act of blinking hurt, he forced his eyelids to stay opened to no avail. They slipped shut again. After fighting with his own body for a while, he grew exhausted and drifted back to sleep.

Every once in a while, he heard some fragmented sentences.

"... is not fair but what can ..."

"... not painful."

"... blessed."

At last after what seemed like an eternity, Suzaku managed to keep his eyes open. Glancing around, he noted that he was back in his designated room. The ceiling was dark. Around him felt dark and cold. The only light of which he was aware belonged to a burning candle laid next to his head. He tried to stir, to sit up and suddenly became frightened.

He could not move at all.

As if a stone boulder were sitting on his chest, holding down his limbs.

Suzaku uttered a terrified cry.

"Now don't make a fuss," a warm voice said nearby.

Suzaku snapped his head toward said voice and his eyes widened. "Lelouch!" he cried. "What happened?"

The other shrugged nonchalantly. He was sitting on the carpeted floor not too far from where the brown-haired man lied. His legs were crossed and his elbows rested on his knees. His dark purple eyes studied the man with amusement.

"You passed out," Lelouch said simply.

Suzaku blinked. "How?" he asked hesitantly.

"I guess you can say that the tea you had for dinner earlier had some strong sedative in it."

The room went dead silent.

"What are you doing?" Suzaku inquired trying his best to hide the terror in his tone.

"Are you scared?"

"I wouldn't be if you told me what's happening," said Suzaku carefully.

Lelouch sighed. "There's nothing for you to be afraid of. It will all be over before you know it," he said.

"What are you talking about? For once, can you please not talk in riddles?" he almost shouted but refrained himself from doing so. Then realizing something else that had been bothering him, Suzaku's face turned white. He screamed.

Lelouch shook his head as if to say Suzaku's efforts were futile.

"Please let me go," Suzaku said as he tried to wiggle out of the unseen bonds. His voice trembled ever so slightly. "Untie me and let me go and I swear I will never breathe a word of this to anyone else."

"They all say that," Lelouch said bitterly. "And the reason for that is because they are afraid. They will never hold true to their words."

"They?"

A corner of Lelouch's lips lifted up into a dangerous smirk. "You think you are the first one?"

Now Suzaku was really, really frightened. He had no idea what's going on and what might happen to himself.

"I don't understand," he said, swallowing.

"Tell me, Suzaku," Lelouch began. "You told me before that you didn't find it strange that I had an immortal woman in my house. Why is that?"

"Why should it be strange?" Suzaku chose his words carefully. "Everyone has a secret. There's skeleton in everyone's closet." A pause. "Is this the reason you're holding me captive? I promise I won't say anything!" Suzaku almost shrieked. No matter how hard he turned and twisted, the unseen bonds would never break. He started shivering. Suddenly, the room's temperature seemed to drop ten degrees.

Lelouch was studying him with interest. At last, he said, "There's always a price to immortality. For her to be forever young and beautiful, there must be a price to pay."

"Which is?"

"It varies," Lelouch said. He stood up and stepped closer to Suzaku. Bending down, he seemed to be adjusting something but Suzaku couldn't see because everywhere around him was so dark. And he felt dizzy.

"What are you doing?" Suzaku asked, horrified.

"It varies," Lelouch repeated. He stopped adjusting and withdrew so now he was looking down at Suzaku's pale face. "Sometimes she wants blood. Other times, she wants a person's essence, an organ. Something. Anything. It never stays consistent. It always varies."

Suzaku was staring at him like he had just sprouted another head.

"You're insane," he said with dead seriousness.

"I can guarantee you I am not."

"I don't believe you."

"Then look for yourself."

Then, Lelouch picked up Suzaku's arm. The latter's gaze followed the movement and his heart almost stopped.

In his right arm right where a vein was visible, a needle was sticking out and dark red fluid was flowing through a tiny tube connected from said needle to a relatively large jar. Then he saw what tied him down.

It wasn't a stone boulder like he'd thought. Hard ropes were binding him tightly. Escape was infeasible.

"No..."

"So many generations have passed. We have all tried to preserve her. She is our everything and we will not lose her," Lelouch said with determination.

"You're crazy." Tears threatened to spill from his eyes but he fought them down. "Are you trying to tell me you've killed all these people for just one person?"

"Yes," answered Lelouch without missing a beat.

"You're insane! How can you live with yourself?"

Lelouch's purple eyes just became a shade darker as he replied, "You do not understand, Suzaku. You are not in my shoes or my ancestors'. When you fall in love with someone who is not even human, you can come back and tell me about it."

"Except I won't. " Suzaku spat. "I will die here. All because of an old witch!"

Lelouch's eyes widened. His hands balled into fists but he said nothing.

"Just let me go, please," Suzaku pleaded resignedly. "I won't tell another soul, I swear on my mother's grave. You don't need all of my blood, do you?" Internally, he was hoping the answer would be 'no.'

"Unfortunately, yes," answered Lelouch coldly. "She's so weak now she needs all she can get."

No longer able to fight back the tears, Suzaku let them all run freely down his face.

And he screamed.

His screams echoed loudly throughout the whole dark, old wooden house, bouncing from wall to wall.

 _Someone has to hear me. They have to!_

With that thought in mind, he kept screaming and shouting and crying for help while all the time struggling to break free of the bond.

Lelouch, witnessing this futile act, rolled his eyes and said, "No one can hear you within a mile radius. I hope you know what time it is. There is not a single soul sane enough to venture out this part of the country this late at night."

Not giving a damn what Lelouch had said, Suzaku kept on going and going.

"Shut up," Lelouch said menacingly. "You are bothering her."

The screams went on.

The raven-haired man stood up, walked to the futon, bent down on one knee and slapped Suzaku across the face. The brown-haired man shut up immediately and stared at the other man in complete shock.

Lelouch sighed as he went back to his spot. "Screaming doesn't help," he said matter-of-factly.

"Please let me go... Please..."

"It will not be painful," Lelouch assured. "I will make sure you go away in peace."

"All of you are monsters," Suzaku said bitterly. Suddenly, he felt so weak and sleepy. His brain was nagging him to close his eyes but he wouldn't. Not just yet.

"Tell me, Lelouch," Suzaku said. He struggled to stay awake. The tiredness coupling with the cold was slowly putting him into a slumber. "If C.C.'s the same woman that your ancestors wedded, doesn't that mean she's biologically related to you somehow?"

Lelouch shook his head. "No, she cannot get pregnant. No matter how hard we try, she can never bear children. That is the price of being immortal, I believe."

Suzaku laughed dryly. "And here I thought you were all so messed up that you would fall for your own mother or great-grandmother."

Lelouch's face remained unreadable in the candlelight.

"So how does it work? How were you conceived anyway if your father was too much in love with someone who can't even bear children?" Suzaku asked mockingly. He knew he was dying and he wanted to make the most out of it.

It took Lelouch a moment to reply, "When we found out she could not be impregnated after her very first husband, we decided to keep her as a divinity. However, in order for the Lamperouge bloodline to go on, there needs to be an heir so our men go on to get married, but C.C. is always there in our hearts and we always go back to her."

"That's fucked up."

His last drops of blood were flowing out, Suzaku could feel it. Sucking in a deep breath, he slowly let it out. Then turning toward the raven-haired man, he spat, "Well, screw you. I hope you're all going to Hell and suffer for eternity."

Another couple of hours went by, Suzaku's breathing noticeably became slower and shallower. The dark red fluid in the tube had almost ceased its flowing. Lelouch got up and left the room. He came back a few moments later carrying C.C. in his arms bridal-style, and gently laid her down onto the futon next to Suzaku's. The latter had his eyes closed; his chest now remained even, neither rising nor falling, a complete flatness. Lelouch waited for another minutes, unplugged the tube, squeezed the last drops of blood out before putting it away.

"Here, C.C.," he said as he held her and tilted her head slightly forward so that he could give her the jar that was filled with blood. As soon as the cold glass of the jar touched her lips, C.C.'s eyes snapped open and she opened her mouth hungrily, allowing Lelocuh to feed her the liquid.

As Suzaku's blood ran through her body, C.C.'s paleness was slowly being replaced by a lively pink color. Lelouch smiled satisfactorily.

C.C. reached a hand up to touch his face and he squeezed her shoulders tighter.

"Lelouch..." she whispered his name.

"Drink up," he said softly. "It's been a while since you've had some sustenance."

That was true. Hardly, there weren't a lot of people who would come out to this part of the country and she needed to sustain herself. Ordinary food wouldn't do so he had to give her a bit of his essence every day. Every day, he would kiss her, let her slowly suck in his breath along with part of his soul. It weakened him but he'd do everything for the woman he loved. The woman his ancestors had fought so hard to preserve.

Seeing the pinkness slowly spread across her pale, pretty cheeks put a small smile on his face and he squeezed her shoulders affectionately.

'

'

"You have to get married," said C.C. coolly one evening.

They were sitting under the shade of the old porch. The sun was setting over the horizon, its bright orange-red rays were shining over the mountains' peaks, casting a glorious glow on the beautiful cherry blossom tree.

A tray of tea separated the couple on the mat. Lelouch sat with a fan in his hand and C.C. sat next to him with her hands elegantly clasped over her laps. She was wearing a white kimono with red floral design. Her long, silky green-lime hair was done up in a high bun that was kept in place by a jade hair ornament. She looked unworldly beautiful.

Lelouch turned to look at her as she spoke.

"Why?" he asked quietly.

"You are not young anymore," she said matter-of-factly. "You are almost forty years old and by this time your ancestors already had children. You have not even found a wife."

"Why would I need a wife when I already have you?"

His question surprised her. She blinked before answering, "Because you need offsprings and I cannot give you that."

He looked away. "Is that so?"

The sun had almost disappeared behind the bright red horizon. His bright violet orbs studied it with such intense interest.

Concernedly, C.C. reached out a hand to place on his. He flinched slightly at the contact. "Are you alright, Lelouch? You seem awfully quiet," she asked quietly.

He took her hand in his as he spoke, "I am just trying to figure out what drove my ancestors to do what they did. They married and had children with women they did not have any affection for. I just want to understand how they could do that when their heart was somewhere else."

"Sometimes you have to make sacrifices to protect the ones you love," she said. "It pained me so much to see them happy with their wives and children but there was nothing I could do. I could not give them what they most desired."

"They did not desire children."

A pause.

"Yes, they did," she answered.

"No." He looked directly into her bright golden orbs. "They did not. I can positively guarantee you that the sole reason why they did such thing was to protect you, to let you live. If the Lamperouge bloodline died out, you would die with us. No one would be here to take care of you."

She flinched and tried to pull her hand out of his grasp. "You are hurting me, Lelouch."

He let go. "I am sorry." He turned back to the almost sunken sun.

"Why are you thinking this now?" she said. There was a bit of controlled curiosity in her tone.

A pause.

"C.C., do you love me?" He wasn't looking at her.

She blinked, opened her mouth, closed it then opened it again. "Of course I do," she stated. "I love you. That is why I want you to go on and be happy. Marry a good girl and have children with her. Your ancestors did not think they could achieve happiness by doing so, but after the first child was born, they were glad they followed that path rather than withering with me."

He chuckled dryly. It worried her. What if he decided to not get married and end the bloodline?

"How is the tea?"

His sudden question pulled her out of her reverie. She cleared her throat, picked up her cup and sipped it.

"Very nice aroma," she remarked after putting her cup down.

He didn't say anything.

"Lelouch-"

"I love you."

She blinked again. She had heard it so many times before that she shouldn't be surprised. However, this one time, there's something else in his tone and his dark eyes and his unreadable expression that puzzled her. It almost made her suspicious.

"So do I," she said carefully.

"Do you?" He looked at her and his stare froze her. It was a sad and pained look. He looked a thousand years older. "I am sorry, C.C. But I cannot bear the thought of my children falling in love with you and having you while I could no longer do so."

"What are you talking about?"

Then, it hit her.

She felt a sudden dizziness, her stomach burned like it was on fire. She felt hot. Sweats dripped down her perfectly shaped face. Her vision blurred. There was this strange ringing her ears. She could no longer stand. Her legs felt weak. Her whole body shook violently and convulsed. There was foam coming out of her mouth. She was having a seizure, she knew. Her eyes rolled backward. She could no longer control her own body or what was happening to it.

But she could remember him holding her tightly. She could hear him sobbing, his constant repetition of "I am sorry... I am sorry... So sorry... I love you... Please forgive me..."

She might never age but that didn't mean she couldn't be killed.

At last, her hand felt limply on her side and he gave an awful, heartbreaking wail that shook the old dark house.

'

They said that Lelouch Lamperouge was the last of the powerful Lamperouge bloodline. No one knew exactly what happened. Just that one eerie, quiet night, the house was caught on fire; the cause was undetermined. The beautiful cherry blossom tree in the garden had also died along with the house and its owner. When the villagers had finally managed to put out the engulfing flames and dig out the burned corpses, they saw two intertwined frames and they assumed the crispy frames belonged to Lelouch and his mistress. The case had been closed.

 **fin.**


End file.
